Dorm Cameras Questions and Answers.pdf

FA500425Q0049 Questions and Answers

1. Is there a preferred Video Management Software (VMS) that the base would like to use, or is the selection being left to the discretion of the vendor?

- There is no preferred VMS.

2. What are the recording parameters?

- Q answered below

3. Do you have dimensions for the building floor plans so we know how long the cabling runs are?

- Dimensions are provided in as-builts included in the package.

4. What are the locations for each camera?

- Camera locations are listed in the as built drawings documenting common areas that we would like covered.

5. Are the cameras all internal or will some be external?

- All cameras will be recording internal common areas within the facilities

6. Are we providing monitors and workstations to run the system?

- Yes, all equipment will be provided to run/manage the system via this contract

7. Are you planning to use a video wall type set up to monitor the cameras?

- No. Staff will need to access cameras via rack mounted hardware/software solution

8. Is there a centralized location where everything will be used, monitored, and installed?

- Yes. Within each facility notes in the site visit, each facility will house a standalone system located within a utility/electrical room

9. Where will the equipment for each building be located?

- See Q 8 above

10. What type of analytics are you looking for?

- We would like to be able to pull the last 90 days of footage and identify individuals based on the need to do so

11. What kind of daily usage are we planning for?

- We would like 24/7 motion activated coverage of facilities to capture the most useable footage

12. Section 3.3 calls for “no structural modifications”. If cameras are to be installed inside or outside the building the contractor will have to “mount the cameras” to the structure using some sort of light duty fastener and dill penetration holes in the walls (interior and exterior) to create wire pathway. Is this acceptable modification to accomplish the installation of the desired system?

- Light duty penetration is expected to mount cameras within the facility. No external cameras are requested for this project

13. Section 3.1 and 3.5 is calling out for DVRs and the cameras are called for 4K/IP cameras. DVR (Digital Video Recorders) only work with analog cameras. To use IP cameras, you will need NVRs (Network Video Recorders). Can you confirm you are looking for NVR’s?

- Gov is requesting standalone system capable of 1080P detail and IR (low light scenarios).

DVR or NVR are both acceptable to achieve desired outcome.

14. Section 3.5 - Audio recording is being called out as part of the package. PTZ cameras do not come with audio built-in so external mics will have to be added. Will each camera need a microphone installed to capture the requested audio in each area?

- Gov is NOT asking for audio as part of this package

15. Section 3.8 is asking about removal of the system. If the system was removed by the end user, there would be work that would need to be done for the building to “return to the same condition prior to the project”. End user would have to patch / fill / paint over any holes that were created during the installation process. Please confirm this is acceptable.

- This is acceptable

16. Will each building need its own dedicated recording system and headend station for reviewing footage and accessing the archived data?

- Yes.

17. The spec is calling for 90 days of storage at 4K resolution. At what frame rate will this be recorded at? How many hours a day to you plan for motion activity at each camera?

- Gov is looking for motion activated recording using best resolution possible to achieve desired 90 days of footage.

18. Does the USAF have a basis of design / hardware manufacture they have looked at for the desired system or a list of approved solutions?

- Negative,

19. Please confirm that all the requested cameras are to be pan/tilt/zoom and none of them are to be fixed position cameras?

- Gov is looking for Fixed cameras as we will not be “operating” cameras.

20. We have looked over the drawings and do not see any device locations called out. Who will be selecting and approving the desired locations of coverage for the new cameras prior to the bid deadline?

- The device locations were outlined in the drawings and at the site visit.

21. Does each building have a dedicated network closet and rack with available openings for recording hardware/network switches?

- Yes

22. Will UPS battery back up be required for each system? If so for how long?

- Yes, We’d like 1 hr of battery backup.

23. Are all camera counts in the SOW an estimate? Is the contractor to determine counts?

- 201 cameras asked for covering all areas requested/Qs sent back to MSgt Dodson

24. Please clarify which buildings on the SOW will remain and which are removed.

- All buildings in the SOW will remain as part of this project

25. Is there an IR requirement?

- Yes, please include IR in camera specs.

26. Is surface mount conduit allowed? Will it need to be painted?

- Surface mount only in areas necessary, yes, color will need to match existing wall color

27. Is there a cyber security element to the project?

- System will need user/password security but will sit behind a physical door lock/barrier

28. What amount, if any, battery backup is required for each system?

- See Q answered above

29. Is there a basis of design for the POE switches?

- No

30. The objective indicates “facial recognition” resolution will be required. Please confirm if this translates to a minimum 38 pixels-per-foot in accordance with industry standards.

- Yes, this is referring to 38 Pixels per foot.

31. Please indicate if network switches will be required to be on the Department of Defense Information Network Approved Product List.

- Yes

32. Please indicate if cameras will require any certifications in excess of NDAA and TAA compliance.

- No

33. Please indicate any cybersecurity requirements the cameras, server, or switches will be required to meet.

- See Q above

34. Please indicate if the server/PC or any display will be publicly viewable, viewable by a locally assigned dorm manager, or if the system will only be viewable for investigation purposes (no common area displays, etc).

- No common displays, access to system will be password protected and viewable by ADL staff only.

35. Can the contractor provide alternate camera configurations/resolutions if the complete design meets the objective of the RFQ?

- Yes

36. Per the site-walk, full coverage was required in dayrooms with more than one entrance, interior stairwells, and all corridors. Please confirm or indicate any other required locations.

- Yes, dayrooms, hallways, laundry rooms, stairwells will need to be covered

37. Please indicate required backup power time for the system.

- Please see Q already answered, 1 hour requested.

38. The RFQ indicates a requirement for 90 days of storage. Server storage requirements drastically affect size and cost. In order to ensure apples-apples comparison, please specify if this is to be recorded on motion (simplifies forensic investigation), and required assumptions if so (e.g. 30% motion) along with the required frame rate (e.g. 15 FPS).

- Record on motion is requested.

39. Building 2264 is included in the drawings but not listed in Schedule 1. Does it require cameras?

- No, 2264 does not need cameras.

40. Is camera equipment allowed to be mounted in existing comm racks?

- Yes

41. Are there any additional power requirements when using existing racks?

- Nothing additional noted at this time, ensure adequate ups and power management is required

42. Where multiple comm rooms will need to be used in the same building, is it acceptable to use existing backbone cabling to tie switches/equipment?

- No, the system should be installed with their own dedicated cables.

43. Are there any requirements for surface mounted raceways in areas with hard lid?

- Conduit can be used in areas with hard lid, if used it must be painted white or eggshell

44. Are there any requirements for the cabling installers to be BICSI certified?

- No

45. Is camera coverage required inside of laundry facilities?

- Yes

46. Any specific manufacturer or brand requirements for network switches or camera equipment?

- No

47. Any specific software requirements such as Vicads?

- No

48. Do the common areas to be covered include interior and exterior?

- Only interior common areas

49. Is continuous recording required? If so, is a reduced framerate acceptable during non-event recording?

- The governments objective is to provide 24/7 coverage of the common areas, as noted in the facility as builds.

50. Any IDS requirements on cameras, equipment, or cabling?

- No

51. Are these systems to be networked together or standalone in each building? If networked together is an existing network connection to be utilized between buildings?

- Standalone in each facility

52. Is an off campus remote viewing workstation station needed, or integration with any other base system?

- No remote viewing station needed. Project is asking for one rack mounted monitor to view/pull coverage from within each facility when needed.

53. How many viewing client/workstations, 1 in each building?

- 1 in each facility

54. Any know hazardous materials that may impact installation such as asbestos?

- No known asbestos

55. Are UPS power supplies needed?

- Yes, 1 hr of back up time is requested

56. Is existing rack space to be utilized for switches and servers?

- Yes

57. Statement of work mentions facial recognition. Is facial a recognition a required software feature?

- No, this is in reference to 38 pixels per foot resolution to aid in person identification

58. Do the buildings have drop tile ceilings?

- Yes

59. Does the government want the video management software (VMS) license to be upgradeable to future versions at no additional cost?

- Yes

60. Does the government want the video management software (VMS) license to be transferable to new hardware at no cost, in the event that the current hardware reaches its end of life or experiences a catastrophic failure?

- Yes

61. To address storage, you’ve requested video retention for more than 90 days. To provide context, continuously recording 25 cameras in 4K resolution at high quality, 30 frames per second (fps), 24/7 would require approximately 638TB of total storage. Meeting these requirements would necessitate three (3) servers with 288TB of storage each. As previously noted, this exceeds the capacity of a single server.

- We require motion activated recordings and no less than 1080p resolution at 30fps

62. To move forward, we need to confirm the required frame rate (fps), quality setting and compression. Some contractors may reduce image quality or lower the frame rate to 15 fps to minimize storage and bandwidth needs. While this can save resources, keep in mind that the human eye perceives motion at 30–60 fps, and the industry standard is 30 fps. Can you confirm what is expected?

- We require motion activated recordings and no less than 1080p resolution at 30fps

63. To address bandwidth. To provide context, continuously recording 25 cameras in 4K resolution at high quality, 30 frames per second (fps), 24/7 would require approximately 656 Mbps of bandwidth. Meeting these requirements would necessitate at least two (2) servers to support the required bandwidth. As previously noted, this exceeds the capacity of a single server.

- We require motion activated recordings and no less than 1080p resolution at 30fps

64. To move forward, we need to confirm the required frame rate (fps), quality setting and compression. Some contractors may reduce image quality or lower the frame rate to 15 fps to minimize storage and bandwidth needs. While this can save resources, keep in mind that the human eye perceives motion at 30–60 fps, and the industry standard is 30 fps. Can you confirm what is expected?

- We require motion activated recordings and no less than 1080p resolution at 30fps

65. It would be advantageous to the Government to require each integrator to provide a storage calculation that demonstrates their system is configured to support 4K cameras at high quality, low compression, 30 fps, and 24/7 recording. Would you like us to request these calculations from all contractors? If not, the contractor may reduce the resolution and quality to meet the available bandwidth and storage limitations.

- Yes, please request calculations to provide quality footage with the longest recording/storage period

66. Does the Government require the equipment to be supported by UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) units? If so, what is the required runtime? Longer runtimes will necessitate additional battery modules, which may impact available rack space and weight capacity.

- Yes, 1 hour, please see above Qs already answered on UPS

67. Based on our calculations, achieving approximately four (4) hours of runtime to support one (1) server, one (1) workstation, one (1) PoE switch, and one (1) monitor would require one (1) UPS unit and four (4) battery modules. This configuration would occupy approximately 14U of rack space and weigh around 570 lbs. Please confirm the required runtime so we can design accordingly.

- Please see Qs already answered above on UPS, 1 hr is requested.

68. Can the Government confirm which buildings are equipped with equipment racks and have fiber connectivity to each equipment rack room?

- The install is a standalone system, no fiber is required

69. Additionally, can you confirm how many rack units (U) are available in each rack? Based on preliminary estimates, we may require over 20U of space to accommodate all necessary equipment. This is based off of four (4) hour UPS runtime.

- Gov is requesting 1 hr runtime

70. The buildings that don’t have equipment racks and fiber, is the contractor to provide those items?

- No fiber is needed for this standalone systems project. Rack space is provided except in the Basement Comm closet in the four older buildings (2260,2202,2204,2266)

71. Could the Government identify any buildings where there are no existing cable pathways reaching the floors where equipment will be deployed?

- Basement Com closet in the four buildings (2260,2202,2204,2266)

72. Is the contractor responsible for bore drilling in buildings that don’t have cable pathways?

- If it is necessary to drill, yes the contractor will be responsible for drilling

73. Can the Government provide the required specifications (e.g., port count, managed, speed, POE capability) for the network switches to be used in this project? We recommend a managed switch for both visibility and control over data and power, which is essential when you're diagnosing issues with powered devices like IP cameras. This will ensure all contractors are bidding based on the same specifications.

- Defer to what is industry standard/recommended as we are not the experts.

74. What size monitor is needed for workstations to view and export video? I would also put a requirement for a 4K monitor to see video in full resolution. This will ensure all contractors are bidding based on the same specifications.

- No smaller than a 14inch monitor

75. Where will workstation and monitors be mounted?

- In the existing Comm closet

76. In building 2202, the room we assessed is quite small and cannot accommodate a rack. Is there an alternative room available for placing the equipment? Additionally, which room contains the chase that runs from floor to floor?

- Basement Com closet in the four buildings (2260,2202,2204,2266)

77. Will the Government include a requirement to ensure that integrators claiming the product is

NDAA and TAA compliant are properly vetted to avoid non-compliant vendors?

- Yes

78. Does cabling need to be put in conduit when in open areas?

- YES

79. Will the cameras need to provide clear images in low-light or no-light conditions, requiring built-in IR illumination?

- YES IR is needed as areas are subject to lights being turned off/winter low light scenarios

80. What is the Governments period of performance on this project?

- 1 year to allow the contractor to coordinate the best time with the government for install.